■ 459 
39 S6 
315 
Dpy 2 



fhe Raising and Care of 

GUINEA PIGS 



PRICE 50 CENTS 



14»16 



The 
Raising and Care 

of 

Guinea Pigs 

A Complete Guide to the Breeding 

Feeding, Housing, Exhibiting 

and Marketing of Cavies 



A>C>SMITH 



Published by 

A. C. SMITH 

712 West 74th Street 
KANSAS CITY. MISSOURI 



'^^ 



Copy 2^ 



Copyright 

1915 

by A. C. SMITH 



By Transfer 

NOV 25 1916 



CONTENTS 







CHAPTER I. 




Introduction 


- 


Page 5 


k 




CHAPTER H. 






Varieties 


CHAPTER HI. 


Page 6 




Uses of Guinea 


Pigs 


Page 9 


CO 




CHAPTER IV. 






Food and Feeding . _ - 


- Page 12 


CO 




CHAPTER V. 






Housing 


- 


Page 14 






CHAPTER VI. 






Breeding 


CHAPrER VII. 


Page 20 




Exhibiting 


CHAPTER VIII. 


- Page 23 




Selling and Shipping - _ _ 


Page 26 






CHAPTER IX. 






Diseases 


CHAPTER X. 


Page 28 




Profits in Cavy Raising 


- Page 31 



GUINEA PIGS 



CHAPTER 



INTRODUCTION. 

The Guinea Fig or Cavy belongs to the rabbit fam- 
ily and is a native of South America. Why they are 
called Guinea Pigs, no one seems to know, unless 
their shape suggests a small pig and the name Gui- 
nea is a corruption of Guiana, a country in South 
America. In size, shape and texture of fur they re- 
semble a squirrel or rabbit. They have large bodies, 
short legs, small feet, no tails and a wide range of 
colors. A full grown Cavy weighs between two and 
three pounds, which weight it attains at about 18 
months of age. The males are usually larger than 
the females. 

When white people first visited the Andean region 
of South America they found the Cavy domesticated 
and living in the houses of the Indians, by whom 
they were used for food. They were introduced 
into Europe in the 16th Century and since that time 
have spread all over the world. In South America 
there are still several species of wild Cavies. These 
are hunted as game and are considered a great 
delicacy. 

Cavies are wholly vegetarian in diet, eating about 



the same things as a rabbit. They are very easily 
tamed, are very healthy and hardy, are not noisy, are 
clean in their habits, and have no offensive odor. 
There is probably no animal in the world that is 
easier to handle. They easily adapt themselves to 
conditions and seem to do equally as well in city or 
country, in large or small quarters and a few of 
them together do as well as a large number of them. 

They are practically free from the diseases 
and epidemics that make the raising of poultry 
and rabbits so uncertain. Some of them get 
sick and die, of course, but it is usually due 
to some local cause or to the fact that they 
have been neglected or improperly fed or housed, 
but contagious diseases such as will often wipe out 
whole flocks of poultry or a pen of rabbits are un- 
known among Cavies. 

All of these things make the raising of Guinea 
Pigs a very pleasant as well as a very profitable 
occupation. 

CHAPTER II 

VARIETIES. 

English. 

There are several varieties of Cavies, distin- 
guished mainly by their fur. The ones most com- 
monly raised and most widely known are the English 
or smooth-haired. These are the ones you should 
raise for commercial purposes. They may be in 



> 

CO 

GO 

5' 




8 

color: white, black, red, fawn, cream, gray, brindle, 
brown, or a mixture of these colors. The whites are 
usually albinos and have pink eyes. 

Peruvian. 

The Peruvian has long silken hair and may be 
called the aristocrat of Cavydom. They are raised 
principally by fanciers and for general purposes are 
no more valuable than the short haired ones, are 
not as hardy and are more trouble to handle as 
their coat needs careful attention. 

Abyssinian. 

This, like the Peruvian, is also a fancy breed. It 
has longer hair than the short-haired, and it stands 
out in curious little rosettes. These are more hardy 
than the Peruvian and are more common. 

The Kind to Raise. 

If you expect to raise Cavies for commercial pur- 
poses the English is the kind that should pay you 
best. They are easier to take care of than the long- 
haired varieties. For laboratories, experimental 
purposes, etc., it is the smooth-haired Cavy that is 
in most demand. If you are a Guinea Pig fancier 
or are raising them for pet purposes it is merely a 
matter of taste and choice. The long-haired ones are 
usually more expensive and sell for more, as they are 
scarcer and are generally sold for pet and fancy pur- 
poses. It is usually well to have a few Abyssinian 
among your stock if you are raising many, as many 
people prefer them for pets. 



CHAPTER III 

USES OF GUINEA PIGS. 

There are three main uses to which Guinea Pigs 
are put, as food, as pets and for experimental pur- 
poses in laboratory and medical research. By far 
the largest demand is in the last named field. 

Scientific Uses. 

There is possibly no animal so well adapted for 
scientific experiments as the Guinea Pig. In the 
testing and analyzing of serums and antitoxins and 
for experimental purposes generally the demand is 
enormous, thousands and thousands of them being 
used every year. Many of the large hospitals and 
laboratories have been compelled to establish breed- 
ing pens of their own in order to be sure of a con- 
stant supply. The demand here is steadily in- 
creasing and many more would be used if they could 
be obtained at a reasonable price. A United States 
Bulletin says, "Guinea Pigs sell at various prices 
dependant on supply and demand. The average 
price for several years has been about 75c, but labor- 
atories now report that suitable stock is short and 
that they have been paying from $1.00 to $1.50 for 
their supply of animals." For these purposes they 
are used all the way from nine weeks to six months 
or more old or when they weigh from 9 ounces and 
up. The cost of rearing them to this age is very 
little and a good profit is therefore assured the 
raiser. 



10 

As Pets. 

The demand for Guinea Pigs as pets is very large. 
They are so widely used in the medical field that the 
pet stores have a hard time keeping enough on 
hand to supply the local demand for pets. They 
are very interesting and perfectly harmless little 
animals. They do not bite or scratch and young 
children can play with them. They are not as com- 
mon as the ordinary pet, and being more of a nov- 
elty, attract more attention. When sold as pets they 
usually bring more than when sold to the hospitals 
and raisers are assured of a very large demand for 
this purpose. In England and Europe the Guinea 
Pig is more widely raised than in America and there 
are more fanciers who show and exhibit them ex- 
tensively. They are becoming more popular in this 
country and are being exhibited more and more in 
Pet Stock Shows. A good show animal is worth all 
the way from $10 to $100. As a hobby the raising 
of Guinea Pigs is most interesting and instructive 
as there are so many experiments that can be made 
in the breeding. 

As Food. 

For food purposes Guinea Pigs are admirable, al- 
though not many are eaten in this country at the 
present time. However, many of the newspapers 
and magazines have run articles suggesting that 
they be raised for this purpose and there is really 
no reason why they should not be. The United 
States Government indorses them as food animals 



m 

3 

15- 
5' 

3- 

9 

< 
n' 




12 

and advises that they be used in this connection. 
In a few years we will possibly see Guinea Pigs sold 
in the stores as rabbits and poultry are now. Cer- 
tainly no animal could be cleaner and being a vege- 
tarian exclusively, its flesh is of the best. They 
can be prepared just as a rabbit or squirrel. In 
soups, stews, pies, or roasted, broiled or baked the 
young Cavy is equal to any other animal. For this 
purpose the animal should be about one-half grown. 

CHAPTER IV 

FOOD AND FEEDING. 

The feeding of Guinea Pigs is a very simple mat- 
ter. Their main food is good hay or dried grass. 
This should be before them all the time, as they will 
not eat too much of it. Be sure, however, that it is 
not musty or mouldy. 

In addition to hay, they should have at least once 
a day, a feeding of green food. This is essential in 
keeping them from becoming constipated. By 
green food we mean such things as lawn clippings, 
green clover, spinach, green corn stalks, lettuce, 
celery tops, plantain, dandelion, grasses, etc., which 
is, of course, very plentiful in the summer. In the 
winter when you cannot get these, carrots, beets, 
apples, cabbage, mangle beets, yellow turnips, etc., 
will take their place. 

The grains such as oats, wheat, com, bran, chops, 
etc., should be fed them, as it makes flesh and gives 
them strength. Oats is probably the best of them 



13 

all. Stale bread is also good, but it should not be 
greasy or mouldy. A good plan is to feed in the 
morning hay and grain or a bran or chops mash 
instead of the grain. At noon some green stuff or 
roots and at night hay. Give them all the hay they 
can eat. Keep it before them all of the time, but 
only feed as much green stuff as they can clear up 
in a few hours. They are also not apt to overeat 
grain, which should be fed in an earthern or wooden 
vessel. If you feed only twice a day, give them the 
green food in the morning with the hay. Guinea 
Pigs drink but little water when eating green food, 
but they should have a vessel of fresh water in the 
hutch or pen every morning. It is also well to keep 
a piece of rock salt in each hutch. 

In the spring or summer you can feed more green 
stuff than in the winter, in fact, we have raised them 
in the summer on an exclusive green food diet by 
moving the hutches from place to place on the lawn. 
But in the winter and fall, when greens are scarce 
and they are not used to them, a sudden over-feed- 
ing might result in severe loss. Avoid a sudden 
change of diet. 

In the spring and summer there is but little food 
to buy for them. Even the city raiser, by saving 
his own and his neighbors' lawn clippings, can be 
well supplied. By curing these clippings a good 
grade of hay is obtained. A little grain, especially 
for the pregnant mothers, is all that need be bought. 

Bread and milk is a good flesh producer and 
should be fed any weak ones, also nursing mothers. 
In the winter it should be warmed. 



14 

The feeding of Cavies, you see, is a very simple 
matter, even for a city man. The commission 
houses every day throw away enough lettuce, cab- 
bage, celery, etc., to feed a large number. Stale 
bread can always be bought very cheaply from the 
bakeries. On the farm nothing whatever need be 
bought at any time. 

Doubtful Foods. 

Breeders differ so as to doubtful foods that it is 
hard to advise what not to use. We get good results 
from alfalfa, but some breeders say it is too rich 
and gives them kidney trouble. We feed alfalfa 
hay in the winter with good results, but have had 
but little experience with it green. We would ad- 
vise you to go light on it, however. Many breeders 
feed cabbage, while others say not. All are agreed, 
however, that potatoes, white turnips and parsnips 
are to be avoided. Of course, meat or greasy food 
must not be fed. 

CHAPTER V 
HOUSING. 

Guinea Pigs do not require either large or elab- 
orate quarters and the average man or boy can 
easily prepare a suitable place for them. There are 
two methods of housing usually used, namely, 
hutches and pens. 

Hutches. 

Among breeders generally the hutch method is 



3 

a- 
pa 

f> 

< 

n 

CO 

o 

o 
<< 
(t 

"^ 

3 

3 

n 

3 

H 




16 

preferred. They occupy less room, are easier to 
keep warm in the winter, and are easier handled. 
We illustrate several types. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are 
the kind used by the U. S. Department of Agricul- 
ture in the Bureau of Animal Industry. They are 
about 20 inches wide, 31/2 f^^t deep and 18 inches 
high. They will accommodate a male and three or 
four females and young ones until weaned. 

The door covers nearly the whole front and is 
made of wire netting. In the back is a screened 
opening for ventilation. Each hutch should have 
a shelf about four inches high in the back as they 
like to get on and under it. These hutches are made 
to stack one on another to utilize small space and are 
kept indoors. 

Fig. 3 shows a type of hutch that can be built 
against the side of the wall. It is not best to have 
the wall of the house serve as the back of the hutch, 
it might be too cold. These can be built in tiers of 
three, each tier about 18 inches or two feet high. 
The size of each hutch can vary, depending on the 
number of Guinea Pigs you have. The entire front 
should be of wire with large doors so as to allow 
ventilation and to be easily cleaned. In the winter 
a small box can be put in each one for sleeping quar- 
ters and this box kept full of straw. 

Pens. 

Some breeders prefer pens and the pen system 
does have some advantages. In the first place, it 
gives the animals more room, has to be cleaned out 
less frequently and is more economical. 



17 

If you have a suitable place for making pens it 
will be all right to use them. Of course, it is harder 
to protect them from cats, rats and dogs in pens, 
and it is also harder to keep them warm in winter. 
In summer the pens are really to be preferred. If 
you have space in a barn, wood shed, attic, basement 
or any place that is protected from wind and rain 
and cats, rats and dogs, you can easily fix up a place 
for them. A place six by ten feet will accommo- 
date from 30 to 50 Guinea Pigs. Your space should 
be divided into several different pens with 12 to 18 
inch board or wire netting. Guinea Pigs do not 
burrow, so a board floor is not necessary. The floor 
should be covered with litter of some sort. Saw 
dust is good for a bottom layer. Hay or straw can 
be put on the saw dust. In the winter, if the place 
is not heated, boxes with a small hole for them to 
run in and out of and which should be filled with hay 
or straw, should be supplied for sleeping quarters. 

Heat in the winter is not considered necessary by 
many very successful breeders, but we think it best 
they should have some protection, especially in very 
bitter weather, and the warmer you can keep them 
the better. They thrive better when the tempera- 
ture does not fall below freezing. If given well pro- 
tected, tight quarters with plenty of bedding they 
will get by all right without heat. However, the fe- 
males that are about to litter should be kept in a 
warm place, as the little ones will freeze if the 
weather is very cold. After they get about a month 
old, you can, during a warm spell, move them out 
with the others. One of the most successful breed- 



18 

ers in the West, whose stock brings fancy prices, 
opposes artificial heat and says they are better with- 
out it. Other breeders use oil stoves in the severe 
weather and some of the largest Caviaries have 
elaborate heating arrangements. 

Out Door Hutches. 

In the summer you can build a pen of wire netting 
for them to run in with a small tight box for sleep- 
ing quarters and protection from storm. Use small 
mesh chicken wire for the sides. The top can be of 
netting or boards. The size of the pen will of 
course depend on how many Cavies you have. These 
pens can be moved from place to place on the lawn, 
giving them good green grass. Very little other 
food then will be required. 

General Instructions. 

Give your stock all the room you can spare. Do 
not see how little room you can use, if you have room 
to waste. Be sure that they have ventilation, even 
in the winter. Animals, like humans, need fresh 
air. See that your hutches are kept clean and dry. 
Do not let your Cavies get wet. There is no need 
to build expensive and elaborate hutches, especially 
at the start. When you get a larger herd you can 
decide on some uniform style of hutch or pen and 
make them all alike. This makes them easy to 
handle and enlarge. Local conditions and circum- 
stances will determine how you will keep your 
Cavies. 



20 

CHAPTER VI 
BREEDING. 

Guinea Pigs are very prolific, having about five 
litters a year, and from two to five at a litter. Three 
is a safe average. 

The females are sexually mature at a month, but, 
of course, should not be bred at that age. Three 
months is plenty early enough and some breeders 
wait until they are even older. 

The period of gestation is from 65 to 70 days. 
The young ones are fully developed when bom and 
in a few hours are able to run around. They begin 
eating other food in a day or two. 

They should be weaned when about three weeks 
old and placed in separate pens, separating the 
young males from the females. It is then well to 
let the mother rest two or three weeks before being 
placed in the breeding pen again. 

It is best to let each female have not over four 
litters a year. The young ones are apt to be strong- 
er and there will be more of them in a litter. You 
will get about as many of them per year with four 
litters as with five and have better stock. Some 
breeders, especially for show stock, get only three 
litters a year. 

When your young females are about four months 
old, they should be placed in the breeding pen. Best 
results and surer are obtained by keeping one male 
with four or fiwe females and letting them stay to- 



21 

gether until you are sure each female is bred. They 
begin to show that they are with young in about 30 
days or sooner and get to be very large before giving 
birth. 

It is best to have several females with young to- 
gether in the same pen, as they will nurse each 
other's young indiscriminately and the little fellows 
seem to know no difference. While the males do 
not kill the little ones, still they should never be left 
in the pen with nursing mothers, as they will bother 
them. 

Many breeders do not have special breeding pens, 
but keep all of the females together and put males in 
with them. This is hardly the best plan, however. 
The females must not be allowed to litter in the big 
pen, but always in special pens or hutches. 

It is best to have different breeding pens or 
hutches, so you can get young stock that is unre- 
lated. You will have many chances to sell breeding 
stock and it does not do to supply males and females 
that are full brother and sister. By using care you 
can so breed your stock that you can keep different 
batches of them that are not very closely related. 

Line Breeding. 

By line breeding, we mean breeding the same stock 
without getting new males. It is the method used 
by breeders of fancy stock to get any special color 
or marking. It is not inbreeding in the true sense 
of the word. 

In line breeding you breed the father to his 
daughter and the son to his mother. This arrange- 



11 

ment is all right and gets splendid results. You 
must avoid, however, breeding full brothers and sis- 
ters. It is also well to breed pigs that are similar 
in color and marking. For instance : Breed whites 
with whites and blacks with blacks, etc. By line 
breeding you can get almost any color you want. 
If you wanted to get solid red, say, out of a mixed 
lot, you should breed your reddest male to your 
reddest female. Then breed the father to his red- 
dest daughter and the reddest son to his mother. 
Continue in this way and eventually you will get 
solid reds. 

For commercial purposes, however, we think it 
is best to get new males every now and then. If you 
have only one male at the start, you should get a 
new one when the young ones of your first litter are 
old enough to breed. This will permit you to get 
stock not closely related and that you can sell for 
breeding and pet purposes. 

It is best to breed males and females of different 
ages. Have one older than the other. The females 
should not be handled too much when they are with 
young, as it is apt to injure them, and, of course, 
no animal thrives as well when fondled. Always 
keep your strongest and best males for breeders. 

Too frequent littering tends to weaken both the 
mother and the little ones. If you have a female 
that gives weak young that are dead at birth or die 
soon after, give her a rest of several months before 
breeding her again. It is best to have fewer litters 
and stronger stock. 

The old males will sometimes fight when in the 



23 

pen together, but it is seldom that the females do not 
get along well together. If you have a fighting 
male keep him in a place to himself, as he is apt to 
injure the other males. 

Good young breeding stock is to be preferred by 
one beginning to raise Cavies, because they have a 
longer life before them and if you get old stock you 
cannot tell how old they are. Guinea Pigs live to 
be about seven or eight years old and if you buy 
young stock you have them for their entire breeding 
age. 

CHAPTER VII 

EXHIBITING CAVIES. 

The showing or exhibiting of Guinea Pigs is rapid- 
ly becoming more popular and in nearly all pet stock 
and poultry shows you will find several pens of 
Guinea Pigs. There are many fanciers in the coun- 
try who make a specialty of show animals and fancy 
stock. 

In judging Cavies, the size, shape, condition, and 
color are the main things to take into considera- 
tion. The self s or solid colors must have every hair 
of the same color. Any white whatever will disbar 
a pig that is otherwise red. In the broken colors 
the different patches should be uniform in size and 
the colors not run into each other. Fancy stock is 
nearly always line bred and great pains should be 
taken in breeding. To secure the best stock the 
females are only bred twice or three times a year 



24 

and every care is taken of them from birth. They 
are bred for size, shape and color. Even if you are 
not breeding for fancy stock, it will often pay you 
to enter your best specimens in local poultry and pet 
stock shows, as it gives you some good advertising 
and you will often take good prizes. It lets people 
know you have stock and you can always get good 
prices for your prize winners. Always enter as 
near a uniform lot as possible in singles, pairs or 
trios, or even larger pens. 

While it costs more to produce fancy stock, still 
the higher prices you can get for it makes it pay. 
If you are raising only comparatively few pigs it 
might pay you to go in for fancy stock. Even if 
you have a large stock you can keep a few of your 
best specimens separate and give them little better 
attention. 

Of course, many of the large commercial raisers 
never bother about fancy stock as it does not pay 
when you are raising large numbers of them. 

Most of the shows are under the auspices of some 
pet stock association and a book of the standards 
can be secured from the secretary. We are giving 
below some of the classes under which stock is 
shown. 

Selfs. 

Solid colors throughout with no odd colored hairs. 

Tortoise Shells. 

Black and red colors with patches clear and dis- 
tinct and as nearly as possible equal in size. 



25 

Tortoise and White. 

Red, black and white patches, each clear cut with 
no running in of colors. The more patches and the 
more uniform in size the better. 

Dutch Marked. 

Blazed face of wedge shape. A band of white 
straight hair around the middle with no blending 
of colors. Feet white. Very rare. 

Brindle. 

Red and black evenly intermixed and perfectly 
brindled. 

Agouti. 

They are two shades, golden and gray. The 
golden should be rich brown undercolor with even 
ticking and belly of deep red. The gray should be 
a light shade with even ticking and belly of silver 
hue. 

The eyes of all English Cavies should be large and 
bold. Head and shoulders heavy, nose roman, ears 
drooping. 

In the Abyssinians the rosettes should be as 
plentiful as possible and the coat rough and wiry. 

In the Peruvian the main thing to be considered 
is the length and silkiness of the coat. 

A book giving the standards as adopted by the 
National Pet Stock Association of America can be 
obtained for 50c from its secretary, C. S. Gibson, 
1045 W. Warren Ave., Detroit, Mich. 



26 



CHAPTER VIII 
SELLING AND SHIPPING. 

Guinea Pigs are in such wide demand that it is not 
a hard matter to sell them if you let people know 
you have them. There are dealers in various sec- 
tions of the country that buy in wholesale lots but 
the prices obtained are usually not so high as if you 
find your own customers and develop your own 
trade. 

The hospitals, medical colleges, agricultural 
schools, veterinary colleges, laboratories, pet stores, 
etc., are the heaviest users. You can get in touch 
with them by writing them and telling them you 
have Guinea Pigs for sale. The names of the hos- 
pitals and medical colleges can be gotten from any 
doctor and you, of course, know your own state Uni- 
versity and Agricultural College. 

Prices obtained for stock for experimental pur- 
poses are not as high as when they are sold for pets 
and breeding purposes. You can build up a good 
mail order business by putting a small classified ad- 
vertisement in the poultry and pet stock columns 
in the Sunday issue of some large city newspaper 
near you. A classified ad in some of the poultry 
papers or farm papers in your state will usually find 
you good customers. 

In shipping to hospitals and laboratories always 
send your males first and keep the females as when 
selling breeding stock you always have calls for 
more females than males. 



27 

The prices you get, of course depend on circum- 
stances. 50c is a fair price for the general run of 
stock for experimental purposes. For pets and 
breeding purposes you should get from $1.50 per 
pair and up. Prices depend on supply and demand. 
$1.00 for females and 50c for males enable you 
to make a good profit with them. 

For experimental purposes they are usually sold 
by weight and are salable from 9 ounces and up or 
when they are around six weeks old. 

Shipping. 

Guinea Pigs ship very easily. They go by express. 
Use a light but strong box in the summer have 
plenty of ventilation. Wire netting on the top or 
sides of the box is good but slats and holes in the 
sides will do. 

In the winter not so much ventilation is needed. 

For food use plenty of hay together with some 
green food or carrots, beets, etc. No water is nec- 
essary. Do not ship out during a real cold spell in 
winter or a real hot spell in summer. 

Do not have your box larger than necessary as it 
means added weight and at the same time do not 
have it so small that they are crowded all over each 
other. 



28 

CHAPTER IX 

DISEASES. 

Guinea Pigs are singularly free from disease and 
the breeder has little to fear along this line. Of 
course improper food, irregular feeding hours, poor- 
ly ventilated or exposed quarters will often 
cause trouble but it is almost an unknown 
thing for an epidemic to get in a herd and kill 
them off. As long as they are fed judiciously and 
their quarters are kept sweet and clean and well pro- 
tected from wind, rain and snow, you will have little 
trouble. They are remarkably healthy little animals 
but of course will not stand neglect or improper 
care. Do your share and you will but seldom lose a 
Cavy. 

Diarrhoea. 

This is one of the most common troubles that a 
Cavy raiser has to contend with. Too much green 
food, mouldy and half cured hay and a sudden 
change of food is usually the cause. Give them 
plenty of good sweet hay and cut out the green food 
for a while. A small spoon of olive oil or a little 
castor oil is good to clean out the bowels. 

Constipation. 

Caused by not enough green food. This trouble is 
not apt to occur except in winter when greens are 
scarce. Give them apple parings, any green stuff 
you can get and a little olive oil. Always try and 



29 

feed at least once a day a little green stuff and you 
will have no trouble. 

Premature Birth. 

Females are occasionally lost when giving birth 
prematurely to little ones and sometimes the young 
ones when born are so weak that they do not live 
long. This is caused by too frequent littering, by 
fright, over fatness or physical weakness. Over 
crowding in a cold drafty hutch in severe weather 
may so weaken the mother that she bears weak 
ones. Take especially good care of the pregnant fe- 
males. Give them the choice food and the best 
quarters. Do not let them breed too often or start 
too young. Do not allow them to be handled or 
frightened. 

Worms. 

If a Guinea Pig is a good feeder and still does not 
grow, if he looks unhealthy and his coat is not glossy 
he may have worms. Give a half teaspoonful of 
any kind of worm medicine such as children use. 
Feed lightly and not at all until the medicine has 
taken effect. 

Going Light. 

Sometimes in spite of all you can do a Guinea Pig 
goes light. If the treatment for worms has no effect 
it may be tuberculosis. Separate at once from the 
others. Give special diet of milk and bread or 
bran and oats. If it does not get better destroy it 
as it does not pay to have such stock around. 



30 

Colds, Pneumonia. 

When they have pneumonia there is usually no 
help for them. Cold, damp and drafty quarters are 
usually the cause. About the only thing to do is to 
move them to warmer quarters, give warm milk and 
a few drops of any good cold remedy that you may 
have in the house. As an ounce of prevention is 
worth a pound of cure you should use every care to 
see that they do not catch cold. 

Lice. 

Use any good insect powder or any poultry lice 
killer. Clean out the hutches or pens and disinfect 
with any good disinfectant. They are not often 
bothered if kept in good condition. 

Wounds. 

Males sometimes hurt each other in fights. 
Cleanse the wound with warm water, remove the 
hair around it with sharp scissors and apply any 
good healing salve. 

Running at the Eyes. 

This is often caused by a cold. Wash the eyes in 
a solution of boric acid that you can get any drug- 
gist to put up for you. 

Paralysis. 

Cavies sometimes have dragging of the hind 
limbs. Some say alfalfa will cause it, but it is us- 
ually from some disorder of the kidneys. Give about 
25 drops of sweet spirits of nitre three times a day 



31 

and rub the limbs with a good liniment. Feed care- 
fully for several days and they will often get over it. 

General Instructions. 

It is much easier to keep Cavies well than to 
cure a sick one, therefore, try and prevent trouble. 
Sick ones should be separated from the others and 
placed in comfortable quarters. Feed only 
choice food. Keep their quarters clean, sweet 
and well ventilated. Give them all air and sun 
you can and all the room for exercise you can. 
Feed no mouldy, wet or half cured hay or grass. 
Do feed grass that is wet with dew or rain. 
Just give your Cavies half a chance and you will 
find that disease will bother your Caviary but little. 

CHAPTER X 

PROFITS IN CAVY RAISING. 

This industry in America is in its infancy. There 
are in several sections of the country large Cavy 
farms but they raise nothing like enough to supply 
the demand. Either as a side line with only a dozen 
or two females or whether raised as a business, 
Guinea Pigs offer a safe, sure and pleasant method of 
making money. 

There is no danger that the business will be over- 
done as the demand is growing much more rapidly 
than the supply and as the supply increases more 
will be used. The hospitals in most cases use them 
in preference to any other animal for experimental 



32 

purposes but at this time they cannot get them in 
sufficient quantities. There is and always will be 
a great demand for them as pets. When the people 
get educated to the food value, this end of the in- 
dustry will come in for its share. The present high 
cost of meat and the decreasing supply of cattle 
indicate that in a few years the people of this coun- 
try will have to make other preparations for their 
fresh meat and the Cavy offers the solution to the 
meat problem. All of these facts make it plain 
that there is no danger of there getting to be too 
many Cavies. 

Inexpensive to Keep. 

The profits in raising Guinea Pigs are large. The 
price for them on the open market runs all the way 
from 50c to several dollars each. The cost of rais- 
ing them to the age when they are to be sold differs, 
of course with conditions and circumstances. The 
man on the farm or in the small town who has ac- 
cess to plenty of food for them without paying for 
it of course, can raise them cheaper than the man 
in the city. Even in the city, however, very little 
has to be bought and that only in the winter time 
as in the summer lawn clippings and vegetables 
from the table will feed them and all that will have 
to be bought is some grain or hay. By saving and 
curing the lawn clippings there will be no need of 
buying hay. They are far more profitable than 
poultry as they not only cost less to feed and keep 
but are not subject to the diseases that make poul- 
try raising so unprofitable. They occupy smaller 



33' 

space and are not dirty, noisy or objectionable in 
any way. Many large Poultry Farms have been 
turned into Caviaries as their owners have seen 
that it is easier to make money with Guinea Pigs 
than with chickens. 

Easy to Raise. 

Anyone with ordinary intelligence should be able 
to raise Guinea Pigs successfully. Women do es- 
pecially well with them as they require less atten- 
tion and work than chickens. Boys and girls find 
the raising of them not only a pleasure but profit- 
able and it is a splendid occupation for them as it 
requires no hard or laborious work. Youngsters 
from 10 to 17 or 18 years old need a responsibility of 
some kind and the experience gained in the raising 
and selling of Guinea Pigs will be very valuable to 
them in addition to the money they will make. Par- 
ents will do well to give their children a chance to 
raise them. To start with Guinea Pigs does not re- 
quire a large outlay of capital. By starting with 
just a few and by keeping the young females it does 
not take long to build up a herd of breeders that are 
valuable. As each female produces about 15 young 
a year and as these young are worth from 50c to 
several dollars each, you can readily see there is a 
big opportunity for profit. 

Big Profits. 

Suppose you begin with six females. In one year 
they should produce about 90 young and the young 
females of the first one or two litters should be pro- 



34 

ducing before the end of the year. Therefore, it is 
pretty safe to assume that from the six females and 
their litters you should get every year about 120 
pigs. If sold at a price of 50c each these six fe- 
males would be producing about $60 a year. These 
figures will show you what 100 females should do. 

Starting. 

Almost anyone can start raising Guinea Pigs 
without having to make any very special prepara- 
tions or a large investment. In any new business it 
is always best to start in a small way. From a 
dozen to 25 females will give you an opportunity to 
learn their habits and you can increase your quar- 
ters as your herd increases. It would not be ad- 
visable for anyone to start with 100 or more right 
at once unles he has especially good place for them 
and a plentiful supply of food. However, by begin- 
ning in a small way no risk is taken and you can 
learn the business as you go along, and you can get 
extra stock as you make preparation for it. 

Selection of Stock. 

You cannot be too careful in the selection of your 
stock. Get good healthy animals to start with as 
on them depends your success. Scrub Guinea Pigs 
will pay no better than scrub poultry or cattle. 
Those found in pet stores are frequently unfitted for 
breeding purposes as they may have been experi- 
mented on or the descendants of such animals. 
Hospitals are very careful of whom they buy and 
must be assured of the purity of the stock. There- 



35 

fore, you cannot be too careful in the selection of 
your original stock. Just as no one would start a 
live stock farm with the cheapest animals that can 
be bought, so no one should start a Cavy farm with 
the cheapest Cavies that can be bought. There are 
many reliable dealers in the country who have good 
stock for sale. Buy of a well known breeder or deal- 
er and you will have no trouble. Young breeders are 
to be preferred as they have a longer life before 
them and are more valuable. 

From our own experience with Guinea Pigs we 
would advise anyone who is interested in this work 
to take up the raising of them. Whether you have 
only a few for making a little money on the side or 
a large number as a real business you will find them 
very profitable. Certainly a great deal of pleasure 
can be gotten out of it and there is a wide sale for 
all you raise. If you will follow the instructions 
laid down in this little book we do not believe you 
will have any trouble making a success of the work. 



GUINEA PIGS 



For breeding, pet and experimental pur- 
poses. Any number, age, size or sex sup- 
plied promptly. 

When you have Guinea Pigs for sale, write 
us, as we are always in the market. Quote 
price, giving number, size and sex. 



CAVIES DISTRIBUTING CO. 

The World's Largest Dealers in Guinea Pigs 

712 West 74th Street KANSAS CITY, MO. 

BELGIAN HARES RABBITS 

SQUAB PIGEONS 

Write me your wants and I will supply you. My 
White Kings are the most profitable squab breeders in 
the world, raising squabs weighing from a pound to a 
pound and a half. Mature quickly and always command 
top price. I can supply mated pairs. Write me today 
for particulars and price on pigeons, rabbits and Belgian 
Hares. 

EDWARD F. TOBENER 

2828A Woodland Ave. KANSAS CITY, MO. 



Redmon Printing Co,, Kansas Citu 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



002 836 436 2 



